Technical Field
This application generally relates to measuring and reconstructing the shapes of physical objects, including objects that have specular surfaces.
Background
Objects that are composed of a highly-glossy material, such as specular objects, have reflection characteristics that differ from objects that are composed of a diffuse material. For example, a diffuse material reflects light from a directional light source in virtually all directions, but a highly-glossy material reflects light from a directional light source primarily in only one direction or a few directions. These reflections from a highly-glossy material are specular reflections and are caused by the shiny surface of the highly-glossy material, which often has a mirror-like surface finish.